The New York City Council has recently passed legislation to ban most uses of solitary confinement to make jails more humane. The new law requires all detainees to receive at least 14 hours outside of their jail cell every day. However, the New York City Mayor, Eric Adams, has expressed opposition to the measure and vowed to veto the bill.
The mayor has given two reasons for his opposition. Firstly, he argues that the new law will create an environment of fear and instability, making both correctional officers and detainees less safe. He claims that there has already been a rise in violence in jails, and this ban might exacerbate the issue. However, public advocates argue that violence has already been occurring with the use of solitary confinement, so it is necessary to try something new.
Secondly, the mayor states that New York City jails have not used solitary confinement in years. However, this claim is disputed as advocates argue that the mayor and the unions representing correctional officers have renamed solitary confinement as "punitive segregation." They believe that the mayor's opposition is a matter of semantics.
Under the new legislation, there are still some instances where solitary confinement would be allowed. For example, it could be used for a four-hour de-escalation period when someone has been violent or if there is a risk of violence. The goal of the bill is to limit the use of solitary confinement, with advocates arguing that it has been proven to be damaging. Studies have shown that it increases the risk of PTSD, suicide, and even death in the first year after release.
Source: Youtube
